The Wanderer's Grimoire
by WaltertheMadGod
Summary: Ward Verloren hated his life, but found a welcome escape upon finding an old book in a library and signing his name into it. He found himself in a world of monsters and magick, and embraced his newfound home with open arms. Long after his arrival, another comes to Ivalice in a similar fashion, and Ward promises to help the lost boy find his way through this fantastic world.
1. So It Begins

Ward Verloren sighed as he came to the library, where he had been sent to help the librarian, Mr. Lewis, with cleaning. Ward's grades in high school had been failing gradually, with nobody to help out, it looked like he would have to redo his senior year. His parents had all but abandoned him when it looked like he wouldn't graduate this year, and all his friends had disappeared long ago, graduating before him and leaving him for dead. It was like Ward's life was falling apart at the seams.

` With a low groan, the teen set his bag down at a table and ran a hand through his messy blonde hair, hazel eyes half-lidded with boredom and glazed over with lifelessness. The tall boy glanced around, looking for the librarian. After blinking twice and checking again, Ward noticed that Mr. Lewis was nowhere to be seen. There wasn't hide nor hair of the man at all - and school wasn't even over yet!

"...Mr. Lewis?" Ward called out uneasily, curious of where the man was. He began searching around the library for Mr. Lewis, but after searching high and low, and coming up with nothing for his efforts, Ward gave up and sat down at the nearest table to him. He leaned back in his chair, daydreaming about what life might be like with an actual mother - any parent, really - who cared for him, tutored him. Hell, he'd take an older sibling, even, especially if it meant-

Suddenly, Ward leaned back too fast and lost his balance, crashing backwards into a bookshelf with an almighty _thud_, books raining down around him. He had fallen out of his chair as well, and sat on the floor against the shelf while groaning and rubbing his head. Then, as he opened his eyes again, he saw it.

In his lap was an enormous, extremely old-looking book with a large, ornate compass rose dominating the front cover. For some reason, Ward felt drawn to the book, seeing as it appeared wholly different to the other books - whereas most books were simple paperbacks, this one was a hard-cover with leather binding, making it out of place among the more modern novels that the library housed.

Curiosity brimming throughout his being, Ward picked up the weighty tome and brought it to the table, opening to a random page. Surprisingly, the page was empty - as were all the others he turned to!

After flipping through page after barren page, the teenage boy flipped all the way to the first page in the book, finding a small message written in old, fancy writing, as if penned with a feather quill of old:

_One who is lost in life shall fill these empty pages._

_Know you the Wanderer's name?_

The grammar and wording was extremely weird to Ward, as was the text itself. 'Know you the Wanderer's name?' It was like the book was asking him to write down a name on the front page, as if to claim it. Furthermore, the desire to write down his name in the book slowly began to manifest, growing steadily. '_Then again,'_ Ward mused, '_it's not like I have anything to lose by doing that. My parents and friends cut me loose, I'm not gonna be able to pay rent on time, and I'm failing high school. May as well…'_

At last, the temptation too great to resist, Ward threw caution to the wind and grabbed a ballpoint pen from nearby, poising it over the front page of the book.

"Yeah, sure, I know what his name is," Ward said out loud, seemingly to the book's prompt. "I'll even tell you. The Wanderer's name is…" He went silent as he wrote down into the book, underneath the writing:

_Ward Jacob Verloren_

With that, he tossed the pen carelessly behind him and observed his handiwork. After watching it for several moments, he noticed that he hadn't heard the pen clatter to the floor yet. Ward glanced behind himself, noticing an odd sight.

The pen he'd tossed was frozen in midair.

Pages rustling caught Ward's attention, causing him to whip back around to the book. The pages were flipping forward at a breakneck pace, and objects around the library began to float and circle around Ward rapidly. Without warning, a flash of light blinded him and filled the entire room…

...leaving the chair and table both empty, devoid of boy and book respectively.

Judgemaster Cid Randell walked through the forest with his companions, keeping a watchful eye. The man was meant to return to Moorabella for a time, and was taking a shortcut through the Zedlei Forest. He and the three templars that accompanied him had weapons ready to be drawn, for a monster could come crashing through the underbrush without warning and attack them. Not that it would live long if it made that choice, though…

It was then that Cid heard movement behind him, and turning, he noticed that Nivus, one of the templars, had stopped walking and was staring into the woods to their left. Before Cid could question him as to why he had stopped, the bangaa broke out running through the trees towards whatever he had spotted. Cid and the other two templars gave chase, following for a few moments before coming to a clearing. It was then that Cid noticed what it was Nivus had spotted - lying in the clearing's center was a young man, unconscious.

He was no older than perhaps seventeen years, with messy hair like molten gold and fair skin. He wore a greyish shirt with a pale brown tunic over it, two belts fastening it in place; a pair of blue, knee-length shorts; brown gloves, and a simple pair of worn-out shoes. Clutched in his hands tightly was an enormous, leather-bound tome with an elaborate compass rose design taking up most of the front cover.

Nivus knelt over the boy, checking him for injuries and finding a few cuts on his face, but nothing too serious. After ensuring that the boy was alright, the bangaa turned to his brethren and Cid, silently pleading that they bring the boy with them to Moorabella - Zedlei Forest was unsafe for those that could not defend themselves. Cid, understanding this, nodded wordlessly, walking over to the boy and picking him and his book up.

With that taken care of, the group resumed their trek for the city of Moorabella, unaware of the identity of their new companion...


	2. And The Sands of Time Flow Past Him

Ward felt like every part of his body had been pressed together roughly for multiple hours, eliciting a groan from him. He opened his eyes slowly, being graced with the sight of a ceiling of a building. Looking around, he saw that he was in a bedroom of some kind, except that everything looked as if it was straight out of a Swords & Spells adventure. Some things appeared to resemble real-life counterparts, but they were much older in technology, or just appearing to be from fantasy.

The boy rose from his bed, realizing that even his clothes were different - he now wore a grey shirt underneath a pale brown tunic of sorts, and gloves were on his hands. He also felt that he was wearing a pair of shorts and a pair of belts - far different from his denim jeans and cotton socks.

Looking around again, Ward noticed something on the nightstand beside him - the book that he'd written his name in. He took it from atop the stand and opened it to the first page, seeing that the previous writing(as well as his own) all vanished. In its place stood new writing:

_Ward Verloren, the Wanderer_

_Ivalice Awaits_

One of the words immediately jogged his memory. Ivalice - that was the name of a fantasy world from a story he'd read when he was years younger. He had memorized nearly the entire book, save for the end. That part, he hadn't been able to read, since the book was lost before he could finish it. Even so, the things he remembered from what he _had_ read began to return to his mind - bangaa, seeq, viera, moogles, nu mou, revgaji, Loar, Ordalia, the Judgemaster, and _so much more_ \- his head began to ache from such memories, and Ward gripped his head and grimaced.

Not long after he'd managed to quell his migraine, Ward realized that his being in Ivalice could be the start of something else - something _new_. He could make a new life here, far better and far more exciting than the life he'd had back home. No longer was he Ward Verloren, the sad excuse of a high school student: now, he could be Ward Verloren, a hume looking to make his fortune in the world of Ivalice. He just needed to figure out where he was and then go from there.

Ward Verloren, the Wanderer...

A knock could be heard from the door, causing Ward to jump in surprise. He snapped the book shut and put it back on the nightstand, and then called out, "Come in!"

With that, the door opened to reveal a middle-aged man in armor, with messy brown hair put up in a ponytail and a goatee, his eyes twin pools of piercing bright blue.

"Ah, glad to see you're awake," the man said with a smile. "I was wondering when you would be. We found you unconscious far off the path, so we decided to bring you with us here."

Ward, confused, asked, "Where exactly is here, er…?"

"Ah, right. Pardon me." The man came fully into view, standing up straight. "My name is Cid Randell, and you are currently in Moorabella. Might I know your name, lad?"

"Ward...Ward Verloren," Ward replied, shocked. Of all the people to be found by, it was none other than the Judgemaster himself! What were the odds?

"I must ask, boy…" Randell said, eyebrow raised, "what exactly were you doing in that forest on your own? It's quite dangerous in Zedlei Forest without an escort or a weapon."

Ward immediately began racking his brain for a story, trying to figure out how to weave truth into his tale. Taking in a deep breath, he began to explain.

"I was travelling around so that I could experience this land for myself, sir. You see, I come from a far and distant land much different than this one, but I felt that my life had no value there. No parents, no friends, a meager job...So I decided to come to Jylland to find my fortune, all on my own. I was making my way across the world from Graszton, by way of Camoa and the Zedlei Forest, but I am afraid that I strayed from the path and passed out from exhaustion. I've been meaning to take up a job and join a clan, to be honest. Perhaps you could help me with that, sir Randell?"

Giving Ward a warm smile, the Judgemaster nodded. "Aye, we can do that. Come along, let's see what strikes your fancy." Cid motioned for Ward to follow, who nearly leapt out of bed to do so, grabbing his book as he went.

]=====[

Ward stood in the shop, gazing at everything there was. He could barely believe what he was seeing - and he'd read about half of these things before, once upon a time!

Cid passed him the book of available jobs, which the young man began to peruse thoroughly. He knew that he wanted a job combination that would be fearsome, but he hadn't the slightest clue what he wanted…

'_Wait just a minute_,_'_ Ward thought to himself, seeing two jobs and remembering certain things about them. _'__With those two...That'd be…!'_

Ward showed the book to the shopkeeper, an aged nu mou, and said, "I'd like this one for now, please." The shopkeeper and Judgemaster looked at what he was pointing to.

"Seer, eh?" The shopkeeper mused. "Well, you'd need plenty of training in magick to get to that point…If you're going for seer, then white mage will be the first step towards that. Why that one, though?" The nu mou peered down at Ward, curious as to why he'd chosen the path of the seer.

The young man simply grinned widely and replied, "Well, I've had a talent of being able to use my two hands equally well at the same time. Pair that with a paladin capable of casting a seer's Magick Frenzy, and you have quite the formidable fighter."

Both men gazed down at the boy with wide eyes. For one to wish to master magick of a seer's level and wield it as a paladin...Ward truly had high ambitions. Cid found himself grinning from ear to ear.

"Well then, lad...Let's get you some proper vestments and a staff, so that you can walk that path…"

]=====[

Not much longer had gone by, and now Ward was clad in white and red robes, a staff in hand, standing before Moorabella's Magick Academy. After taking a deep breath and letting it out, the new white mage walked up to the doors and pushed them open, simultaneously opening the doors to his new future…

[Many months later…]

Ward sat in the pub, his glass of ale untouched as of the moment. He was dressed in his common seer attire, eared cloak and all, a staff propped against the table. It had been several months in the making, but he could now call himself a master of high magick - and he even had white magick, black magick, and some blue magick in his repertoire as well! Now that he'd learned all he could as a seer, he believed it was time that he walk the way of the paladin, so as to present himself before one of the mightier clans as a famous swordsman, and be welcomed into their ranks.

It was during his musings that Ward was visited at his table by a man clad a suit of red platemail, with black hair and brown eyes. On his back was a large greatsword, and his face bore an expression of curiosity and inquiry. Ward, having locked eyes with him, nodded for the knight to state what he had come to say.

"Mage, my name is Dakor of Clan Hallowblade. I come on behalf of my clan, who wish to recruit you into our ranks. We are in need of an adept magick user for our next outing, and you seem to fit the bill nicely. Might I know your name and your answer?"

Ward blinked in surprise. Hallowblade were a well-known clan who went after marks consistently, sometimes even investigating possible marks on their own. Dakor himself was a great paladin, his Master Sword having tasted battle many times. _'__Perhaps my luck really IS infallible...'_ Ward mused silently, thinking back to one of Judgemaster Randell's previous statements after having run into him for the eleventh time in three weeks.

The seer then returned his attention to the paladin before him. "I'd be fully willing to join up with the mighty Hallowblade...if you could perhaps grant me a boon…"

"Name it and it's yours," Dakor said, seriousness clear in his tone.

"If I assist you in felling this mark, you keep me within your clan and teach me the ways of the paladin," Ward stated, not missing a beat. "I've already had plenty of experience as a soldier, and I feel like the way of the paladin, paired with my magicks, will make me truly worthy to be within your clan."

It was now Dakor's turn to blink in amazement at how eager a mage was to learn how to wield a sword. After several moments, he smiled and said, "You have a deal. I have yet to know your name, however." He then offered his hand to shake.

"Ward Verloren, wandering mage," Ward replied, taking the hand and firmly grasping it. "Pleased to make your acquaintance."

[One year later…]

Ward was pressed up against the walls of the Way of Judgement, the skeletal claws of Ancalagon the Arch-Lich digging into his neck. He was clad in his white robes and silver chestplate, turban ripped and on the ground below his feet. His sword was knocked aside to Ultima-knows-where, and the corpses of his allies lay dead behind the undead mage.

Where had it all gone wrong?

Hallowblade had been informed by an anonymous source of gathering undead in the Ruins of Delgantua, and they had traced it to this secret passage through the Hall of Kings. They had been greeted by the form of Ancalagon, an arch-lich who had brought himself back from death and begun raising zombies and ghosts so as to besiege Moorabella without warning. The unholy being had then proceeded to pick apart their entire group, Ward's inexplicable good fortune keeping him alive the entire time. Alas, now that luck had run dry, and it was his turn to perish.

And yet, fate had other plans for the hume.

"How odd, that you were the last to still stand, knight," the lich rasped in his ragged voice. "I was so sure that the Red Knight would survive until the end, and that I would be able to claim _him_ as my vessel. But it seems that it is _you_ who remains alive at this time. Quite curious indeed."

True to the lich's words, Dakor had fallen before Ward, his recently forged Fervu dug into the ground nearby. It was a well-forged knightsword, with faded cloth bandages wrapped around its hilt. The name had been a suggestion from Ward himself.

It meant 'desolation' in another tongue.

"Let us see how much of my magick your body can handle, shall we?" The lich asked rhetorically, drawing one of his clawed fingers to Ward's forehead. Almost immediately, a searing pain shot through the paladin's entire body, causing him to thrash about in Ancalagon's grip. The world seemed to vanish around Ward, leaving him in agony within a boundless void. Then, a figure appeared before him, wrapped in several black rags of cloth and linen.

"You lay at the crossroads of death and rebirth," the figure all but whispered to him, "but to die is not your fate this day, Wanderer. Let Magick become your ally, and Mystery your shroud...And all the world will bear witness to your glory…"

With that, a strange feeling bled into Ward's body, driving out the pain as the world returned around his form. Ancalagon still held him by his neck, but no longer was there suffering - no, there was only the unbridled power that was surging through him.

Ward put a hand upon the lich's arm and whispered a quick chant, followed by a single word:

"Annul."

With that, a bright light flared and Ancalagon suddenly dropped him, heaving breaths of exhaustion. Ward dropped to the ground, gasping for breath of his own, before staggering to his feet and walking towards Fervu. He gripped its handle and, after several tries, yanked it out of the ground before walking back over to the fallen undead mage.

"What did you…How did you learn...that magick…?!" Rasped the skeleton.

Ward said nothing, merely raised his blade. He then vanished in a blur, reappearing in a similar fashion on the other side of his opponent, sword outstretched as if he had swung. A single word was heard in the empty silence:

"Imhullu."

And then, in a furious blast of black flame, Ancalagon was no more.


	3. As He Taketh Up The Sorcerer's Mantle

The dimly lit cabin was small and cramped, its sole occupant sat at a desk, hunched over a thick book - a book with a large compass rose on the cover. The figure reading its contents was in his twenties, though his eyes spoke of wisdom far older. He wore a worn silver Samite Coat over his form, hiding his black shirt and long grey pants. A red cowl was wrapped around the man's lower face, obscuring it from vision. A Spring Staff was laid against the desk near his side, and a sheathed Shamshir was close at hand.

This man was Ward Verloren, a man from another world, keeper of the Wanderer's Grimoire.

Ward sighed, closing his Grimoire gently. He had spent too long out in the middle of nowhere, studying magick and brooding over the annihilation of Clan Hallowblade. They had been adequately mourned - he had to do _something_ with his life. He rose, taking the sheathed sword and fastening it to his belt. He then took his staff in one hand, book in the other, and made for the door.

The Grimoire needed to be kept safe and sound, far away from him.

]=====[

After entrusting a colleague with his Grimoire, Ward had made off for Wood Village in the Targ Wood, so as to find a clan he could help out. Whilst taking a stop at The Prancing Chocobo, he was approached by a hume dressed in the garb of a parivir, a revgaji and a young girl at the table some ways behind him. The man had black hair in a neat ponytail, with a slight beard on his tanned face, an x-shaped scar just under his left eye.

"Hey," the parivir said, "You're a magick user, right? We could use someone like you in our clan. Care to join?"

Ward eyed the man, as well as the two behind him, who he assumed were also clan members. The revgaji was a large man, with neck-length blonde hair and a thin mustache, as well as skin of darkened ebony. The girl, however, was young and had blonde hair, light brown eyes, and an outfit modeled after a viera white mage. Ward could see the girl gazing at him in awe, and smiled gently. He remembered starting as a white mage himself.

"Sure thing, stranger. You can call me Ward. What might I call you?" Ward offered a hand to shake.

The parivir shook his hand and replied, "Ensei Rou. Welcome to Clan Gully."

Soon, Ward had been introduced to the revgaji, Cid, and the girl, Kanin Heldig, who was also Ensei's daughter. With a warm smile, Ward knelt down to Kanin's level and quietly said, "I started as a white mage too, you know. If I could make it as far as I have, then so can you."

The light that filled the girl's eyes was almost enough to make up for his long time of suffering. Almost.

]=====[

Even though Ward was able to hide his secret from his clanmates, it was not to last forever. One day, while he and his clanmates were traveling through the Bisga Highlands, a pack of wolves, worgens, werewolves and hellhounds descended upon the group of four. Cid was caught up fighting a loup garou, and Ensei was surrounded by several wolves, leaving Kanin and Ward in the back.

The remaining werewolves and hellhounds made to swarm and kill the remaining two.

Ward decided that he would defend his newfound family, secret kept or not.

A large distortion of magick exploded around a large group of werewolves, tearing them apart and leaving naught but ash. When the rift disappeared, Ward could be seen, Spring Staff gripped tightly in hand, standing defensively in front of Kanin. Mist swirled around him like a miniature cyclone, stunning the small girl, who watched in amazement.

Soon, the gathered wolves and lycanthropes shook of the surprise and charged again at Ward, who began casting spells that he'd never even been seen attempting. He could be heard muttering chants, and then intoning:

"Barrier. Recharge. Leap. Quicken. Sheol."

In a blur, Ward disappeared from view, and the massive pack of dogs visibly slowed in movement, as if moving through honey. A blurry Ward slashed through several of their numbers, reappearing before Kanin and facing her, his Shamshir drawn fully and gleaming with blood and Mist. He then whispered, barely audible:

"Magick Frenzy."

Strands of lightning danced across the attacked monsters, charring them and turning them to dust. Ward then sheathed his blade and aimed his staff at the loup garou, and his hand to the crowd of worgens that surrounded Ensei. He chanted inaudibly again, before saying:

"Doublecast: Thoron and Scathe."

A cloud of lightning strikes swarmed towards the crowd, each one latching onto a worgen and killing it, leaving Ensei untouched. Meanwhile, a column of focused light shot at the loup garou that had nearly killed Cid, vaporizing it's head. The revgaji turned to Ward in surprise, as did Ensei, and both witnessed the dancing storm of Mist that clung to the silver coat of the mage.

"You witness before you Ward Verloren, the lone Sorcerer, wielder of all magicks. Unwilling successor of Ancalagon the Arcane, magick user and arch-lich. Scorn me as you will - I have done what I must to save those I call my family."

As it turned out, Ensei and Cid much appreciated being saved by a sorcerer, and properly welcomed him as a member of the clan. Kanin, young as she was, became wholly enamoured with the concept of magic, proclaiming that one day, she would be on par with the 'Master Sorcerer Ward.'

Upon hearing that, the Wanderer gave a heartfelt smile, at peace, and shed a single tear.

[Years Later…]

Darkness.

No matter where he turned, that was all that Luso could see.

All he could see, that is, except for two figures before him.

The first one of them didn't seem very special at all. The man seemed asleep, floating upright in the nothingness. He wore a long, worn-down coat of silver over a black shirt and dusty grey pants with black boots. A red scarf of some kind wrapped around his neck and lower face, and the mess of gold that was his hair hung slightly in his face as he floated limply. Clutched to his chest in one hand was a large, thick book emblazoned with a compass rose. Luso couldn't help but realize that the book looked very similar to the one he'd written in.

The other figure was a blue woman who appeared to be made of crystal, her eyes glowing red. A white aura emanated from her body, and her hair flowed behind her like waves of ivory snow. Slightly behind her was a small, humanoid figure wrapped in black bandages, body surrounded in purple flames and face hidden by a skull mask with horns.

Luso checked himself quickly. His left arm was severely burned, but otherwise, he was alright. He couldn't feel his body, let alone move, and so believed he was dead. But if that was true, and the woman before him was an angel...Then who was the blonde man? And didn't angels have wings?

"Who...are you?" Luso weakly asked, wanting to know rather than speculate.

She floated closer a bit, the bandaged figure drifting over to the blonde and floating onto his shoulder.

"**Tis matters not who **_**I**_ **am. Only that He continues to exist beside the Other."**

"Who exactly is this 'He'? And who is the Other? Other what?"

"**...He is the One fated to fill these barren pages, of course. And the Other is the Wanderer, the other one who is entrusted the Tome."**

"...Wait a minute! How did you know about the book-" Luso was caught off guard as the woman reached forward and kissed him square on the lips. In the background, the bandaged demon-thing watched on, unmoving, a clawed hand grasping onto the blonde man's shoulder. Luso, after some time had passed during the kiss, found himself able to move again. The woman then backed away, and faded off into the darkness. The bandaged demon then faced Luso and spoke.

"**The Wanderer will seek you out, and he will guide you on your way."**

With that, he and the blonde man both faded away, just as the woman had. Luso began searching around for any sign of the three figures, when his own body started radiating the same white aura as the woman had before. In front of him, the book he'd written in appeared magically, as it always seemed to. On instinct, Luso grabbed onto it, and within but a few moments, both of them disappeared.


	4. A Kindred Spirit Arrives

Luso slowly awoke from his unconscious state, an almost ethereal light filtering through the canopy above him. The surrounding forest and landscape was relatively peaceful, entirely different from the flame-choked furnace that was his home, or the black and empty abyss that he'd just seen himself in. All in all, the change was a welcome one, although there was one thing it didn't solve.

Where exactly _was_ he?

Everything he could discern about the place - the trees and foliage, the sky, the clouds - all seemed so...just so..._unnatural_. He shrugged off the feeling for the moment, though. There were far more important things for him to discern, such as what fate had befallen his sister, Frimelda, and his grandfather. Another thing that wasn't certain was whether or not Luso was even still alive, seeing how this place was almost _too_ peaceful. If this was the afterlife, then it was a far cry from what he'd imagined it to be.

Putting away the many idle thoughts for the time being, the young boy gradually lifted himself to a standing position, dusting himself off as he did. Laying at his feet was none other than the infamous tome that had brought him to this strange place - wherever it was. He reached down and picked it up, then chose a direction which had as few creatures as could be seen. After selecting which way he was going, he set off into the forest.

]=====[

'_This is getting me nowhere…'_ The boy thought to himself, hopping over yet another enormous tree root that was _somehow_ protruding from the ground. Luso had been walking for the past hour, seeking whatever sign of civilization he could find, and only for his efforts to prove fruitless. At this point, his pajamas had been torn to shreds by overhanging branches, and his feet were no better off. Not only that, but his burnt left arm was in considerable pain.

The blue-eyed boy's stomach suddenly burst out into a series of grumbles and grunts, making the boy aware that he hadn't eaten very much dinner before the fire. He set the book down on the ground, hunching over and clutching his stomach.

'_Great, now I'm getting hungry, too.'_

He closed his eyes a moment, and after a few seconds, he noticed something that he hadn't before - the sound of running water off in the distance. Being just as thirsty as he was hungry, if not more, he grabbed the ancient book back off the ground and started working his way through the undergrowth until he came across a small stream beside a somewhat open plain.

He dropped to his knees and set the book down beside him before plunging his head down into the lukewarm water, which he found to be clean and refreshing despite being in the middle of a forest. The boy drank his fill, then took his book and found a tree to lean against.

Soon, Luso felt the need for rest creep through his entire body. Try as he might to fight against it, his eyelids slowly drifted shut as he slipped into unconsciousness.

]=====[

'_Hmmm...this one...and...this one...Oh, these will do quite nicely,"_ A girl thought to herself whilst she sorted through a variety of flowers on the ground, picking those that matched her criteria.

She had long, bright blonde hair down to her calves, divided into two long strands - much like a viera might style their hair. She also wore a viera's white mage robes, and held a white wood staff shaped like a shepherd's crook. A piece of red cloth was tied around her staff. On her head was something most white mages wouldn't be wearing - a hat in the style of a black mage, colored white with a red band around the base. Her light brown eyes seemed to almost shine vibrantly. On her back was a bag of sorts, into which her flowers and herbs were placed.

Looking up from her spot, she could notice a strange form leaned up against a tree across the river. Better judgement told her to leave it be and continue with picking herbs, but curiosity said that it seemed to be harmless enough.

After wading through the stream's waters to reach the figure(getting her slender boots soaked in the process), she climbed from the shallow brook and over to what she now saw was a young, brown-haired boy; who, from what she could tell, was dead asleep.

At first, the girl pondered on which course of action she would take to wake the boy up - if he was even alive, that was. Opting for a long-distance approach, she grabbed her white staff by its head and used it as a pole to prod him, first making sure that a good distance was between them both.

She nudged him once, with no response. Again the blonde girl tried; and once again, she received no reply. Becoming a bit agitated, she decided on a more direct - and more violent - tactic. The girl raised up her staff as far up as she could, casting a shadow over the boy, before slamming the staff down straight into his gut with all her might.

The received response was, to say the least, a tad more than what was expected.

The boy was roused from his sleep, letting out a near otherworldly scream in reaction to the pain he was now suffering, also clutching his agonized stomach.

"I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to do it quite like that!" The girl expressed her concern, trying her best to calm him down. Once the pain had faded, the boy - Luso Clemens - was able to converse with her more calmly.

"What was that for?" Asked the blue-eyed boy, still quite irritated at her unexpected attack. He lifted his shirt to be graced with the sight of a small bruise where the girl had rammed her staff into him.

"My apologies. I was trying to wake you up, but I suppose I got a bit carried away...Oh, what Uncle Ward would say if he knew about this…" The blonde muttered, avoiding the boy's gaze slightly as she blushed in embarrassment.

"It...It was an accident, alright? Don't worry about it," Luso responded. He couldn't really stay mad at a girl as cute as her. Besides, he wasn't one to hold a grudge.

The girl stared at the boy in wonder for a bit, puzzled by his behavior. Most people she met, if not all, would most likely have become angry, lashed out at her or even attacked her for what she had just done. Even so, this boy held no vice in his words or actions. It was indeed a mystery to her, but she was glad for such a mystery - she wasn't one to look a gift horse in the mouth.

"Erm...Does it hurt?" She asked, once again switching to a state of worry as she looked down upon the bruise that she'd left on his torso. Truth be told, Luso was very much in pain at that moment in time, but he saw no need to let her know about that.

"Not really; I'm sure if I wait a while it'll heal-"

"Don't you worry, I can fix you up right this minute. I just need a second," Kanin interrupted, hastily rising to her feet and grabbing her staff. The blonde girl then held the staff above her head and hat. A small white aura glowed around her, before she chanted a single word.

"Cure!"

Luso watched in amazement and awe as a similar aura surrounded the bruise, the bump disappearing in a matter of seconds before vanishing into thin air altogether. The pain, swelling, _everything_ in that spot had just left entirely. He quickly sat up and rose to his feet, checking himself over for any unnatural effects, then double-checking.

"What just...happened?" He asked, utterly bewildered.

Kanin, confused as to why he was making such a big deal out of the situation like he'd never seen it before, answered him. "All I did was cast a simple healing spell. Ward has been teaching me for a while now."

"Wait...a spell? What are you, a-"

"Yep! I'm a white mage...Well, a white mage in training, rather," she replied, quietly and with no small amount of shyness.

To call Luso Clemens stunned was an understatement - he was frozen speechless. This entire ordeal he'd been through was just too outlandish and supernatural for it to be real, no matter how real it felt. He was supposed to be burned to a crisp right now, but here he was in a forest. He knew for a fact that magic wasn't real and didn't exist, but the bruise was gone. No matter how much reasoning he mustered, nothing could beat cold, hard evidence.

"Are you alright? Should I cast Cure again?" Kanin asked, wondering why the adolescent boy had suddenly spaced out for nearly a minute now.

"Er, no...no that's okay, thanks," he answered back, taking a small couple of steps away. He could tell she'd noticed his hesitation, and quickly began racking his brain to eliminate any further tension. "So, uh...what's your name?"

"The girl perked up at the question, and corrected her posture. "My name is Kanin Heldig, official white mage in training of Clan Gully," she answered with a smile. "What's yours?"

"Oh...um...Luso. Luso Clemens," the boy shyly replied. "So...Kanin, right?" The girl nodded in response. "Where exactly _are_ we?"

"I'd say we're close to the middle of Targ Wood at the moment…" She said, looking about for animals and other nature in the area. Suddenly, she remembered something. "Oh, I nearly forgot! I was supposed to meet up with the others by now!"

"Uh...Who's 'the others,' exactly?"

Kanin smiled at Luso. "Why, the rest of my clan, of course. Would you like to come and meet them?"

The boy weighed his options for a bit. If he went with her, he could meet new people, possibly get help and find out where he was and what happened to him. On the other hand, if he refused, he would most likely suffer from thirst and hunger, be aimlessly lost, and quite possibly die.

Suffice it to say, his choice didn't take long to be made.

With that, the blonde white mage and brown-haired boy were off. Moments later, however, the high-pitched cry of a bird came from a large cluster of bushes behind them.

]=====[

"Hey, Cid, Ward, didn't Kanin say that she would be back around this time?" An older man asked his companions as he lay back on a large tree branch, taking a puff of the cigarette in his mouth.

The most notable thing about this man was his face, specifically the extremely rugged beard running across the bottom half of his face. His tanned skin and solid black eyes were accentuated by his neck-long black hair, which was neatly tied up into a ponytail of sorts. Sitting just below his left eye was a scar shaped like an 'X'.

Adorning his six foot tall body was a loose green shirt with sleeves that came down to his elbows. Over that was some type of sleeveless yukata which was tied around him by a dust-colored cloth belt. This was all complemented by light beige pants which were tucked into brown boots. A sheathed katana was tucked into the belt, the blade's hand guard shaped like a sunflower.

_Clan Gully Co-Leader: Ensei Rou_

"I do believe you're right, Ensei," A revgaji man with neck length blonde hair and a thin mustache answered back, sighing disheartenedly. Two small horns poked up from below his hair, and a pair of earrings were hooked in his elfin ears. His outfit was more akin to a real-world cowboy, with dark purple chaps around his legs. A blue-collared vest over a skin-tight, large-cuffed white shirt contrasted well with his darkened ebony skin. A faded, woven yellow cape with scarlet trimmings and designs cascaded from his shoulders and down over his back, kept in place in front with an elaborate silver brooch.

_Clan Gully Co-Leader: Cid_

"Do you two think we should go and look for her? She _does_ tend to get herself lost at the worst of times, after all," remarked the third member of the group. He was a thin, wiry fellow, with messy hair like molten gold and a pair of dark emerald-hazel eyes. He was clad in a faded silver coat over a worn-down black shirt and long, dusty grey pants with black boots. A blood red cowl was wrapped around his lower face, hiding his mouth and chin from view and trailing behind him a bit as he walked over from the boulder he'd been sitting atop. In his right hand was a long, brass staff with a sickle-spear design at its top, black bandages wrapped around the pole of the staff. A small silver ball hung from his faded leather belt by a tiny silver chain.

_Clan Gully Mage: Ward Verloren_

The black haired man, Ensei, let out a sigh laced with boredom, a smoke puff billowing out of his mouth.

"I suppose we _should_ go and lend a helping hand." He rose up from his lying position and jumped from the branch, landing beside his two cohorts. "After all, it _is_ my duty to ensure her safety."

"I believe you mean _our_ duty, Ensei. I am her mentor, so it is one of my main objectives to make sure no harm befalls my pupil." Ward gave a jokingly competitive glance to Ensei, poking fun at him. The swordsman simply smirked.

"Hey! You three, over there!" A nu mou, most likely in his twenties, called out to the Clan Gully members as he and a hume hunter came out from behind a cluster of trees. From his attire, they believed him to be a beastmaster. "Civilians aren't allowed to be in or travel within this forest for the time being."

"Don't you worry about us; we're on official clan business. Besides, I'm sure we know how to handle ourselves if need be," Cid answered the beastmaster in a serious, albeit respectful, manner, for he knew how to deal with such situations.

"What could be so dangerous that it requires the evacuation of citizens from the forest?" Ward inquired, a brow raised. Unseen to the non-Gully individuals, his hand gripped his staff tightly.

"I'm afraid that's none of your concern," the beastmaster stated. "Now, if you would kindly…"

"Hold on there, Marion," the hunter intervened, cutting off his companion. "These guys might be able to help us catch this thing. Care to earn a little money on the side, gentlemen?"

Ensei smirked devilishly, while Ward just sighed exasperatedly and shook his head.

"Now you're speakin' my language."

]=====[

"Don't worry, they should be just up ahead," Kanin uttered to her chocolate-haired companion as she moved a few branches out of her path with her staff. She put the map she was using into her leather pack, seeing as she no longer needed it.

"Thanks for all the help, by the way," Luso said, giving the girl a warm smile. If not for her, he probably wouldn't have ever been able to leave the forest.

"Don't mention it, Luso," the blonde girl replied, returning the smile wholeheartedly. "After all, a white mage's duty is to help those in need."

The pair went on in comfortable silence for a few more minutes, trekking past tree after tree, eventually reaching yet another relatively open clearing. Luso decided to rest awhile, sitting upon a rock as Kanin mimicked the action.

"So, where _is_ the rest of your clan?" The boy asked her, scanning the surroundings for anyone else. Kanin did so as well, but both of their efforts were fruitless.

"In all honesty, I haven't the slightest idea. I followed the map to the letter…" The brown eyed girl once again drew out the map and scoured it over, taking in every detail. It wasn't long before she put on an expression of realization and flipped the map over. "Ah, there's the problem. I had the map upside-down."

Luso stared at her with a blank expression. For the past half-hour they'd been walking, but she had only _just_ noticed that she'd been reading the map wrong?

"Not to worry, though. All we have to do is backtrack to where were earlier, everything will be fine."

"Sure, why not. It isn't like we have another option," Luso commented, carefully holding his burned right arm, which he'd wrapped up with strands of fabric from his shirt.

"Does it hurt? The burn, I mean…" The white mage asked with a concerned tone, eyes wandering over the aforementioned limb.

"A little, but it'll be fine," the boy assured her, doing his best to give a reassuring grin.

"I wish I was able to do more, but such damage is out of my league. You'll be better off if Ward heals it," Kanin uttered, averting her eyes as she clutched her ivory-colored staff gloomily. "Being a white mage takes skill and intellect, and as you've most likely seen, I don't have either of those."

"So what?" Luso began, standing to his feet. "When I first started kendo training, I was just like that. I had no talent whatsoever; I could barely _hold_ the training sword, much less _swing_ it; and I was the biggest klutz you've ever seen." Luso stood directly before Kanin, holding out his left hand out in a gesture to help her up to her feet.

"But if there's anything that my grandfather taught me...well...beat into me, it would be that as long as you've got heart, and you keep at it, you'll pull through. No matter what it is."

She took his offered hand, grabbing onto it and rising to her feet. The blonde was about to thank Luso for his assistance when he unwrapped his arm from the makeshift bandages, showing the charred and blackened remains of his skin. Kanin could do nothing but cringe at the sight.

"Go on," Luso encouraged. "Cast it one more time." After his little speech, who was she to refuse such a request?

Performing the similar motions as she had before, and with all the focus she could muster up, the white mage in training held her staff high, and cast her spell on Luso's burnt arm. Unlike previous attempts, the flesh of the arm actually seemed healthier than before once the spell had finished, although it was still badly burned.

"I don't believe it. The pain's gone," Luso voiced in astonishment, staring down at the limb.

"YES! YES! I DID IT! I DID IT!" Kanin ran around the area, cheering loudly and jumping around as if she were a small child. The boy couldn't help but give a smile at her behavior.

In the distance, a sharp, piercing bird call resonated throughout he clearing, causing both of them to turn in the direction of said call's location.

"What the heck was _that_?" Luso mused out loud, looking around for whatever had made the noise. Kanin stopped cheering almost immediately.

"It sounds like a cockatrice to me," the white mage stared calmly, readjusting her hat. "Don't worry those things are relatively harmless; especially the ones in this forest. Here, they barely grow up to just above your knees."

As she finished her statement, light tremors began shaking the ground in a rhythm not unlike footsteps. Each step was louder than the first, until one final tremor, greater than all the rest, shook the duo to their very cores. They then noticed a large beast's shadow looming over them both. They slowly turned their heads to gaze upon something that Luso had never expected to witness ever in his entire life.

'_Is that...a giant chicken…?'_

Luso turned to Kanin, who looked back at him, and they gave each other paralyzed stares of fear. The giant cockatrice let loose an ear-splitting call, right as the two burst out into a frantic sprint and screaming all the way. Out of instinct, the large flightless bird gave chase.

As they both ran, Luso craned his neck around to give his companion a sarcastic glare.

"Barely above the knees, huh?!"

"Just run-"

Kanin tripped over a misplaced stone, making her stumble forwards and fall to the ground. Luso pivoted sharply on his left foot, managing to change direction, and made a mad dash for her, the giant cockatrice plowing towards him in full force. By the time that Luso reached her, she was already beginning to stand, but the massive bird was far too close for her to dodge in time. Hopelessly panicking, she shut her eyes tightly and waited for the inevitable.

Purely out of reflex, Luso grabbed Kanin mid-run and went down into a slide, speeding under the huge bird just as it was about to crush them both.

The bird turned slowly, then crept forth with murder in its eyes. Again, the boy and girl rose up and made a break for it, the bird drawing closer and letting out more caws.

Kanin looked ahead as she ran, noticing a lone figure standing in the clearing before her. From what she was able to tell, he was darker than the average hume and much larger. Hoping that he could help she and Luso ran past him on both sides.

"Don't worry, little one. I'll handle this," the revgaji whispered to Kanin as she passed by him. He assumed a battle stance and drew back a fist as if to strike. Luso simply stared in disbelief at the man's confidence. '_That thing is enormous! What can he possibly do to fight it off?!'_

"Air...Render…"

Suddenly, the revgaji thrust his fist forward, a massive rush of air erupting forth from it and surging towards its target, the giant fowl's foot. The blast alone was enough to send the beast off balance, causing it to fall onto its side and rock the earth with a massive tremor.

Luso stared on, shocked, amazed, and most of all, disbelieving. He _wanted_ to believe that all of this was a particularly deep dream - truly, he did! - but everything was telling him otherwise. He felt pain, he felt fatigue, and surely one couldn't _think_ within a _dream_.

"Hmmm...A bit off, Cid, but nevertheless effective," Ensei commented, coming out into view from behind the trees, the hunter, beastmaster and Ward following him. "You two okay over there?"

"Somewhat tired, but otherwise fine," Kanin happily responded, supporting herself up with her staff. Luso's reply was of a similar fashion, accompanied with a polite 'sir' at the end.

Shortly after, the hunter had sedated the giant cockatrice with a paralysis potion and was moving over to Cid.

"Well, that paralysis potion will have this guy out of commission for some time," he remarked. "Thanks for your help, Cid." With that, the huntsman tossed the revgaji man a small sack, no doubt filled with gil if the jingling noise it made was any clue.

"Oh no, thank _you_, sir," Ensei commented, greedily taking the bag from Cid's hands. "With this _and_ our mission money, we'll have enough food and booze for the rest of the week." In time, the beastmaster left to gather some workers to bring the cockatrice back to the Monster Bank.

"Excuse me, hunter," Ward said, grabbing the man's attention. "Correct me if I am mistaken, but this particular breed of monster isn't meant to grow this large, is it?"

"Honestly, the largest they're _supposed_ to grow no taller than the girl over there," he replied, pointing to Kanin. "However, something else is also bothering me. These creatures are naturally docile. It isn't just rare; it's _unnatural_ for one to attack a hume like this one did - no matter _how_ big it is."

"So what are you saying?" Asked the revgaji.

"At this point, I'm not quite sure. I'll need to look into this. For now, though, I like the idea of sleeping on it for the time being." The hunter turned and headed into the forest. "Be sure to look me up, by the way. I might need your help again, after all."

"We'll need a name if you want that help, you know," Ensei said, smirking. All the hunter did was smirk back.

"Cheney…"

And with that, he left.

Luso, who was sitting back and watching the entire event play out, couldn't have possibly comprehended it less than he had. The boy was utterly clueless as to what they were talking about; it was as if nobody ever made sense around here!

"On the topic of names, just who is your friend there, Kanin?" Ward asked, turning and gesturing towards the book-carrying boy with his staff.

"Oh...um...my name is Luso...Luso Clemens," he answered back nervously, giving a small bow as he was taught. Ward raised his eyebrows at the bow, as if it had caught him by surprise.

"Ah...I was expecting a bit of a cooler name, but I guess that it fits you," Ensei remarked, ruffling Luso's hair in a fatherly fashion. All he got in return was an annoyed expression from the boy.

"So, where do you live, Luso?" Kanin happily asked.

Luso jerked a bit, his eyes dimming slightly. This didn't go unnoticed by Ward, who looked on in thought.

"...Nowhere…" Was the sole reply, a remorseful look now plastered on the boy's face. Kanin looked on in confusion, thought the trio of adults could tell from the change in demeanor that something had gone horribly. '_Just what tragedy have you suffered, Luso Clemens…?'_ Ward thought solemnly to himself.

"What about any family?" The white mage queried.

"...I had a grandfather and sister, but...no...no, I don't have any…"

So basically, you're an orphan?" Cid pointed out flatly. "Luso gravely nodded in agreement. The revgaji walked over to him and held out a hand, smiling brightly.

"Well, how'd you like to make a new family, eh? Sure, we may not be the greatest bunch, but then again, what do you have left to lose?"

Luso stared at him, wide eyed and surprised.

"...Are you sure? I mean, I can't do magic or anything like that, I'd just be dead weight and-"

"Did he ask if you could, boy?" Ensei interrupted, pointing out the obvious. "He didn't say clan, he said family. The members of Clan Gully are family first and clan second."

Ward stepped up to Luso, placing a hand on his shoulder, prompting him to look up into the mage's hazel-green eyes, which were gleaming with life. "We'd be fully willing to have you, Luso."

Luso then turned to Kanin, who gave him a nod to show her approval of taking Cid's offer. "Don't worry about not being useful," she told him. "Mr. Ensei's more of a dead weight than you could ever hope to be." Her voice was rather upbeat and innocent, as if she were stating a fact. Furthermore, Ward simply closed his eyes and nodded in agreement.

The boy mulled over his options awhile. It wasn't really like he had a choice, seeing as this world was far too dangerous for him to go it alone. Then again, even if he did have the choice, there was no way he'd ever pass up this offer. He looked up to the blonde revgaji and shook his hand.

"I'd be glad to join your family."

The four senior members of Clan Gully gave bright smiles and smirks al around - or rather, a solid nod from Ward, whose smile was hidden. Ensei strolled over to the boy's spot, moving in front of Cid and staring Luso right in the face. His mouth curled into a malicious grin, sending a chill up the boy's spine.

"Now that you're a part of our family, it's time you took up the family business. I'll meet you tomorrow first thing in the morning for job selection, weapon selection, and basic training to get you up to speed." Ensei then turned around and started walking for the treeline.

"Clan Gully, move out!"

As Cid, Ward, and Kanin began to follow him, Luso simply stood where he was with an exasperated look on his face.

"I think he likes you already," the white mage whispered over her shoulder, giving a giggle afterwards. One thought went through the boy's head.

'_What have I gotten myself into…?'_

]=====[

It was already nighttime by the time the clan made it back to the inn; not because it had taken so long to walk back, but because Ensei had decided that the clan should celebrate the addition of their newest member...for five hours straight. Not only that, but Ensei had used this as an excuse to buy an inordinate amount of alcohol and blow away all their earnings in one sitting. Despite that, and the fact that Luso and Kanin had been unable to drink anything alcoholic in nature, there had been plenty of fun to be had. It was odd, but enjoyable, and the boy had gotten plenty of heavy lifting in - and seeing Ward get drunk and jump onto a table to sing a song about a dryad(whatever that was) had been quite funny.

_Someone_ had had to drag the two intoxicated men to the inn, though. Heavy lifting, indeed.

So now here Luso was, writing down the day's events in his book with a quill pen, the full moon's light shining brightly through his window to help him see.

_Dear Grandpa and Frimelda,_

_Today has been one of the weirdest days of my life. I'm not even fully sure where I should start, so I won't bother writing it down. I will say that I met a few new people. They seem really nice, especially that Kanin girl. I'm not sure where I am, or even how I got here, but I plan to find out tomorrow._

_I also just can't get over how much I feel like I've met that Ward guy before. I swear I've seen him before, but I can't remember where._

Luso gazed up at the moon, its ethereal light cascading down upon him.

_But there is one thing that I _do _know. Today, I have to leave behind my carefree childhood, because all that lies ahead of me is hard work. So with this, I bid you farewell for now. Goodnight, Grandpa. Goodnight, Frimelda._

In the next room over, Ward sat at a desk beside his bed, a candle lit as he looked through a small note that he always kept tucked away in a pocket inside his coat.

_Never forget. 3rd of Mistleaf._

It was the day he'd arrived here in Ivalice.

Ward sighed, before looking out his own window for a few seconds, thinking of the possibilites Luso's appearance had anything to do with his recent dreams. After some time, he turned to the candle and blew it out.

'_Perhaps,'_ he thought to himself, '_I've found a kindred spirit…'_


End file.
